The largest oil refiner of India reportedly buys Russian crude from non-sanctioned entities

India’s largest oil refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has bought five shipments of Russian crude for December delivery from companies not affected by U.S. sanctions, Reuters reported on October 31.

The move shows how Indian refiners are adapting to new U.S. restrictions while maintaining access to Russian oil. The latest sanctions, announced on October 22, target Rosneft, Lukoil, and their subsidiaries, and allow for secondary sanctions against foreign firms dealing with them.

IOC reportedly purchased around 3.5 million barrels of ESPO crude at prices close to Dubai benchmarks for delivery to eastern India. The sellers were not identified.

Following the new sanctions, IOC canceled several shipments linked to blacklisted subsidiaries and began verifying suppliers to avoid direct purchases from Rosneft and Lukoil.

Between December 2022 and September 2025, China accounted for 47% of Russia’s crude exports and India for 38%, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Reuters also reported that Nayara Energy, a Rosneft-linked refinery in India, has raised operations at its Vadinar plant to about 90–93% capacity after earlier cuts caused by EU sanctions targeting the Russian energy sector. Nayara, 49.13% owned by Rosneft, had been running above full capacity before the restrictions.

The company has since increased domestic fuel sales, including to state-owned Hindustan Petroleum. Bloomberg cited Indian oil executives saying that major refiners plan to cut purchases from Rosneft and Lukoil to nearly zero following the latest U.S. sanctions.

Russia has officially included the occupied territories of Ukraine in the Southern Military District and will begin mobilizing the population

Russia plans to mobilize 50,000–100,000 people in the occupied territories for the war against Ukraine. The category of those involved includes men aged 18-55 and conscripts who have “voluntarily” agreed to participate.

Russian cluster ballistic missile morning strike on Mykolaiv killed one person

Russian forces launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile strike with a cluster warhead on Mykolaiv at around 7:20 a.m. on Nov. 1, according to the Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration.

One person was killed and 15 others were injured, including a child in moderate condition. The attack also damaged a petrol station and several cars.

Over 20 civilians injured due to Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast

Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast on October 31 killed two people and injured 22, according to the regional military administration.

The strikes hit residential areas and infrastructure, damaging eight apartment buildings, 15 houses, a church, garages, cars, and a gas pipeline.

In Donetsk Oblast, two people were also injured in Kramatorsk.

Russians hit Zaporizhzhia Oblast over 700 times in one day, damaging houses and infrastructure

Russian forces carried out 720 attacks on 25 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast over the past day, damaging houses, cars, and infrastructure, regional head Ivan Fedorov reported.

The attacks included nine airstrikes on several villages, 472 drone assaults—mostly FPVs—on multiple communities, and 12 strikes from multiple-launch rocket systems on Huliaipole, Preobrazhenka, and Novoandriivka.

In addition, Russian troops conducted 227 artillery attacks, and authorities received 42 reports of damage to civilian property and infrastructure.

170,000 Russian troops are deployed in the Pokrovsk sector

President Volodymyr Zelensky said around 170,000 Russian troops are concentrated in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk Oblast, aiming to capture the semi-surrounded city.

“All their forces are there,” Zelensky told journalists on October 31, adding that Ukrainian troops are gradually destroying Russian units while prioritizing the protection of their personnel — a remark that some observers interpret as a hint at a possible withdrawal.

Currently, Ukrainian forces retain a supply corridor of just over 10 kilometers into Pokrovsk, according to open-source analysts at DeepState.

Russian troops are continuing to infiltrate the city, attempting to complete its encirclement, while Ukrainian forces report heavy fighting to the northwest and north.

Zelensky earlier said on October 27 that Russian forces outnumber Ukrainian defenders eight to one in the battle for Pokrovsk.